Machine or apparatus for printing, checking, and automatically summing up the values of tickets of different kinds and series.



G. I. I. SOULAGE. MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR PRINTING, CHECKING, ANDAUTOMATICALLY SUNINIING UP THE VALUES 0F TICKETS OF DIFFERENT KINDS ANDSERIES.

APILIOATION FILED MAY'], 1907.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910. 1 5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

f I I l/VVE/VI'OF eorgesi clor j ezdzhandfiulagfe G. I. F. SOULAGE.MAGHINE OR APPARATUS FOR PRINTING; CHECKING, AND AUTOMATICALLY SUMMING IUP THE VALUES 0E TICKETS OF DIFFERENT KINDS AND SERIES. 9353,4939

APPLICATION FILED MAY '7, 1907.

' I Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

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5 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.

G. I. F. SOULAGE. MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR PRINTING CHECKING, ANDAUTOMATICALLY SUMMING UP THE VALUES OF TICKETS OF DIFFERENT. KINDS ANDSERIES,

. H APPLIUATIOII FILED MAY 7, 1907.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

HSIIEETB-SHEET 3.

Fig.3.

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A ITO/7min) G. I. F. SOULAGE. MACHINE 0R APPARATUS FOR PRINTING,OHBGKING, AND AUTOMATIGALLY SUMMING UP THE VALUES 0F TICKETS OFDIFFERENT KINDS AND SERIES. 953,493;

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1907.

Patented M21129, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

5 SHEEfirSHEE'I 5. 5 6

Fig.

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Arrmouzon FILED MAY'], 1901.

mam-EAST sunssmss Uisirn s'rnrpsrgrnnr oiurion.

GEORGES ISIDORE FERDINAND SOULAGE, OF PARIS, FRANCE. ASSIGNOR TO SOCIETEUNIVERSELLE DES APPAREILS CONTROLEURS, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR PRINTING, CHECKING, AND AUTOMATICALLY SUMMINGUP THE VALUES O1 TICKETS OF DIFFERENT KINDS AND SERIES.

Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonens Isinonn' FnnmNAND Soitmcn, of 4% Rue Ohanzy,in

the city of Paris, Republic of France, mining engineer, haveinventedImprovements m Machines or Apparatus for 'Prmtmg,

Checking, and Automatically Summing Up the Values of Tickets ofDifferent Kinds and Series, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description. 1

My invention is an improvement in machines or apparatus for printing,checking, and automatically summing the values of tickets of differentkinds inseries, and consists in certain novel constructions andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.-

The present invention relates to an improvement in machines of thecharacter specified, and is designed to provide a small portable machinefor printing and checking tickets of different classes and kinds and forautomatically adding up the corresponding receipts. I

The present invention is animprovement over my British Patent 11,541 of1906 and my copending' application No. 322390 filed on June 19, 1906,and the essential points of difference are that the said patent and theapplication relate to a machine in which the printing blocks areseparated from the perforated plates. The device comprising essentiallya chain of printing blocks hinged to one another and movable on a drumand a chain of slotted plates also hinged to one another andcarried by adrum.

The subject of the present application is a portable machine, each carrging the slots, and the plates not being connected together. This methodof procedure possesses many inconveniences among I which may be statedthe following: first,

the preparation of the ticket takes considerable. time and renders theissue thereof slow;

second, the data w ritten upon the ticket is not always legible and isliable to be eifaced by the handling of t-he passenger; third,

the keeping of the accounts in connection with the tickets istroublesome, in that errors may occur inthe making out of the ticket,

and for checking purposes the employee is obliged to repeat all thedirections which he has written upon the ticket, either upon a printingplate stub, or in a register, and the method of checking does notfurnish the guarantees desired by the railroad companies, since thetranscription may become altered by mistake or otherwise. i

The object of the'present invention is to provide a machine which willremedy these inconveniences, that will effect by a single operation,first the impression upon each ticket of the date, the destination, theprice,

the route, and the number of days for which the ticket is available.Second, the simultaneous impression upon a checking'sheet of all thedata placed on the ticket. Third, the automatic adding up of the sumscollected.

A further object of the invention is to produce a mechanism simple,portable, of

small dimensions, and one in which the use shall notfrequire anyprevious change,

and whose up' keep shall be inexpensive, and

which shall be suitable for ,all kinds of tickets.

The machine comprises broadly, first a fixed impression table in whichthe ticket tobe printed is held and which carries a checking sheetWhichifnrolls after each impression, and which presents the portion toreceive the impression in the same plane as the ticket. Second, .amovable plate above the table into whichis introduced the block .orprinting plate bearing the data which is to be printed upon the ticketand upon the checking sheet. Interchangeable blocks or printing platescorresponding to the-different varieties of tickets and each bearing agrid provided with a plurality of parallel.

slots. Fourth, vertical movable bars, whose. upper end is stepped'forengaging the'slot's for a purpose to be presently described. Fifth,ail-adding apparatus operated by the movement of the bars.

Referring to the drawings. forming a part hereof-Figure 1 is a frontview of the machine; Fig. 2 is a side view; Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig.4 is a horizontal section taken above the impression table; Fig. 5 is aplan view of a printing plate or block; Fig. 6 is a side view; Fig. 7.is a portion of a case adapted to receive the plates; Fig. 8 is a frontview of the'safety device, and Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line ;&Aof Fig. 8.

be placed while being printed.

The table 1 carriesa roller 6 of rubber or other suitable material, theupper surface of the rubber being in the same plane with the uppersurface of the block 5, and over the said roller a checking sheet 7passes, which checking sheet is carried by a supply roller 8, and areceiving roller 9, the rollers being mounted upon shafts carried by theframe of the machine.

A plate 10 is arranged above the impression table, the plate bemgmovable vertically and being provided at each corner with a sleeve 11,which are slidable on columns or standards 12 carried by the pedestal4c, and supported at their upper ends by brackets 13 fixed to cheekplates 14: of the machine, and cross ties 15 which connect the cheekplates to each other.

The plate 10 is normally supported in its uppermost position by means ofsprings 16 encircling the standards, the said springs being arrangedbetween the sleeves 11, and turn buckles 17, one portion of which issocured to the base as shown, and the other is provided with a socketinwhich is received the lower end of the standard.

.The plate is moved downward by a cam 18, keyed upon the shaft 19 andacting upon a roller 20 carried by the plate. The shaft 19 is journaledin bearings mounted upon the cheek plate 14 and carries a pinion 21meshing with a toothed section 22, keyed upon a shaft 23, upon whose endis mounted the operating lever 2a. The return movement of the plate isbrought about by the springs Y16, and by a spring 27 which is connectedwith the operating lever, and with the cheek plate as shown in Fig. 2.Cams 25 secured to the shaft 19 assist the return movement, by theirengagement with the rollers 26 mounted upon the same shaft as the roller20.

In the lower face of the plate 1.0, is a guideway for receiving theprinting plate hearing the data for the ticket required. This printingplate (Figs. 5 and 6) is a metal blade 29 of rectangular form, hearingupon one of its faces the data 30 for the impression of the ticketin'relief, and the inscription 31, and is also provided with a pluralityof slots 32 of different length.

Upon its opposite face the printing plate bears an inscription whichappears through an opening 33 in the upper face of the movable plate 10in order that the ticket agent may be certain that the correct block isplaced in the guideway. The plate is held in place in the guideways by aspring bolt 34, or by any other suitable retaining means.

Over the impression table 1 passes two inking ribbons 35, one for theticket to be printed, and the other for the checking, and said ribbonsare guided by rollers 36, and at their ends wind upon bobbins 37, 38,whose shafts are carried by the movable plates 10. Each inking ribbonreceives a forward movement after each impression, and when it hasarrived at the end of its courscthe direction of movement is reversed.

Each of the shafts of the bobbins 37, 38 bears a ratchet wheel 39, 40,the teeth of which are rcversely arranged, and are actuated either bythe pawl ll or by the pawl 42, the said pawls being mounted upon thearms 423, a l which are movable about the fixed shafts 45, 16, carriedby the cheek plate 14, and are connected to each other by an operatingrod or link 47.

lVhen the rod 47 is moved forwardly as shown in Fig, 2, the pawl tlengages the ratchet wheel 39, and when the lever 24 is operated todepress the rod, the pawl moves upward, and. when the table is permittedto rise the pawl moves downward partially rotating the ratchet wheel,thus winding the ribbon upon the bobbin 37. To reverse the direction ofmovement of the ribbon, the rod '47 is moved rearwardly thus bringingthe pawl 42 into engagement with the ratchet 40, and disengaging thepawl 31 from the ratchet 39 and when so arranged, at each upwardmovement of the plate 10 the inking ribbon is wound upon the bobbin 38.Each ribbon is provided at each of its ends with a blank portionuninked, or printed with an indicating mark for'showing that the ribbonhas arrived at the end of its travel and that the direction of travelmust be reversed. The operating rod 47 is limited in its movement by thestops 48, ll). The receiving bobbin 9 of the checking sheet is providedwith a ratchet 50, upon which acts a pawl 51 carried by an arm 52movable about the shaft 59 and supported in its position of rest b thespring stop 53. plate 10 and when the said plate is at the lower end ofits movement, the rod 54 engages the arm 52, and the pawl 51 engageswith the succeeding tooth of the ratchet 50. In its movement the arm 52moves the stop backward by pressing its spring. When the plate 10 againrises the spring expands and the stop 53 moves the arm 52 back toitsinitial position, the pawl 51 sharing in its movement and imparting apartial rotation to the ratchet and the receiving bobbins 9. A pawl 55'engages the ratchet wheel 50 for retaining said wheel in its adjustedposition.

This pawl is lifted by the pawl 51, when the A rod 54 is fixed to thesaid pawl is disconnected from the ratchet wheel 50, whereby to permitthe checking purpose of removal or replacing it.

The plate 10 may carry a dating apparatus 5o, composed of a series ofrings of letters or figures, the lowerpart of which comes flush with thecharacters on the block. This dating apparatus is placed so that thedate may be printed on the ticket at the same time the remaining data isprinted.

O posite the slots of the grid with which i the lock is provided, arearranged stepped plates 57, each provided with ten steps, it beingunderstood that the-arrangement is based upon the decimal system. Thedistance from the rise of each step to the back of the plate correspondsto the length of a slot, the arrangei'nent being such "that the platecan enter the corresponding slot a predetermined distance. The plates 57are independent of each other, and are slidable in grooves on the frameof the machine, and are retained in ,their uppermost position. bysprings 58. When the printing plate moves downward, the slots willengage the corresponding plates and will move them downward, thedistance Which they are moved being in proportion to the length of theslot, it being evident that the plate entering the longest slot willmove downuvard the shortest distance. The movement of the plates iscomnnmicatcd to an adding or summing up apparatus.

The summing up apparatus comprises a certain number of nun'lbenwheels aeach wheels a and of pinions 7) are loosely mounted on an axis rZ'carried by the harnes composed of two cross-tied plates (1 and movableabout an axis 6', this harness carries furthermore an axis 6 ilbOllt\\'l11Cll can rotate the stopping comb f acted upon by the spring fagainst the adjustable abutting screw {1. I

Theharness e constantly acted upon by the returning spring a iswonnectedthrough the rod h with a bent lever z movable. about the axis a"returned by a spring a and the descent of the plate 10, upon the smallarm of the bent lever i to bring the end of the great arm of the. latterin mesh with the tooth of the holding on pawl 7.;.

Then one of the wheels of the summing up' device has turned tendivisions (in case the decimal system is used), the report of the unityof the higher grade is obtained by means of the following mechanism Infront of every one of the fingers Z) are arranged levers m n'iovabieabout an axis in; each of th e levers bears at its upper end, anappendix m upon which the corresponding finger b will act when thenumbered wheel connected with this finger has made one turn, and twoshoulders m 'nf-arranged beneath an abutment c with which is providedeach segment 0 or (7 driving the following numbered wheel; this abutmentlimits the ascending stroke of the stepped plate connectedwith eachsegment through a rack 57 and the segn'ient c.

Each lever m is connected at. its lower end 1 through a small link itwith a stop lever 0 movable about the axis 0', the w role of the leversm and '0 is returned to the position of rest by a spring 7) against theabutment g. The stop lever o is capable. of engaging itself with thetooth of the pawl r'movable about the axis 1 and acted upon by thereturning spring 1'". p

The pawls'r have for their function to keep up the levers m in theposition to which they have been taken when forced back by thecorresponding fingers 7/, on each descent ofthe plate 10, these pawlsare met from a cross-bar s which serves to disengage these pawls r bythe levers 0, m, so as to allow the stop levers m to reassume tl'ieiroriginal position.

The cross-bar s is su jiported by two bent cheeks s movable about anaxis of these checks .9 carries a rod connected through the red It withthe latch 11. movable about the axis 11. and operated upon the descentof the plate 10 by the abutment Z carried by the rod Z. 1

At the end of the stroke of the plate 10, the abutment Z of the rod Zmeets the small arm of the lever i andthus impartsan angular motion tothe great arm of this lever 2' which carries along or drives the harnessc and thus brings the pinions b of the summing up apparatus in gear withthe segi'nents r 0'. In this angular motion of the harness c, the teethof the stop comb f are removed from the pinions b.

s". One

\Vhen the pinions I) are in gear with the 0 and c.

&

\Vhen the plate 10 ascends again, each stepped plate 57 no longer beingdownwardly pressed, is raised again under the action of its returningspring 58 thereby transmitting to the segments 0, c an angular motion,in a direction reverse to that it has im' parted on its descent, untilthe abutment c of the segment '0 or a meets either the shoulder 'mpresented thereto by the corresponding lever m when the latter in itsnormal position, or the shoulder m when at bringing forward should takeplace.

\Vhen a numbered wheel a, for instance the unit wheel, has turned tendivisions, the finger 7/ connected with this wheel, meets the appendix mof the lever m, arranged opposite the segment a which drives the wheela. of the tenths and forces back this lever so that it presents, underthe abutment 0 of this segment 0, its shoulder m which is at a lowerlevel than the shoulder mg. Under these conditions, the segment a of thetenths receives, when the stepped plate 57 driving the same ascends, agreater angular motion than that it had received on the descent of thisplate and the amplitude of this supplementary displacement is sodetermined that this segment 0 will cause the pinion 7) of the Wheel ofthe tenths to turn one tooth more. The bringing "forward of the tenths,of the hundreds,- etc. take place in the same manner.

The segments 0 are placed opposite the numbered wheels of the units of ahigher grade than that of the units controlled by the stepped plates.Thus, in the case represented, there are but four stepped platescontrolling respectively the following units: centimes, declines,francs, tenths of francs. Consequently the first segment 0 near to thelast segn'ient c correspm'ujls with the pinion 71 of the numbered wheel1/ of the hundreds of francs and so on.

From the hundreds of francs, the numbered wheels will never turn morethan one division in one operation, that is to say in the case when the.finger b of the neighboring numbered wheel having made a complete turnwill have forced back 'the appendix 1115- to allow the abutment c of thesegment'c to rest upon the shoulder m. At the end of the descendingstroke of the plate 10, during the next operation,'the abutment Z of therod Z will bring back the segments 0 to the position shown .on thedrawing so that the abutment 0" will lean against the shoulder m.

In order to prevent an incorrect operation and to compel the employee tomake the operating lever 24: move through a complete stroke, an arm 59connected to the operating lever 24c is provided at its end with adouble pawl 60, which engages the toothed sectors 61, 62 when themachine vis in operation.

The teeth of the sectors 61, 62 are arranged in opposite directions, andthe double pawl is provided with an angular portion 63 upon one face ofwhich a spring bolt 64 acts for retaining one or the other arms of thedouble pawl 60 in engagement with the toothed sector. Stops 65, 66 arearranged at each end of the travel of the pawl to reverse the same, andthe arm 59 is mounted upon the shaft 19 (Figs. 2 and 3) and receivesmovementfrom the lever 24; through gear wheels 7O, 71 and 72. The arm 59is connected by a connecting rod 69 with a dash pot 68 of suitableconstruction for preventing the sudden rise of the lever.

The different blocks or plates required by a station, will be placed ina set of pigeon holes (39, having con'ipartments arranged for classesand stations, each station being pr0- vided with a group of blocks foreach class, corresponding to single and return tickets, whole tickets,half tickets, etc., as shown in Fig. 7 i

, The operation of the improvement is as follows: A ticket being calledfor, the em ployee takes from its pigeon hole the plate 25)corresponding to the station and to the class and series of tickets, andinserts it in the movable plate 10. A blank printed ticket of the color,character and type required is introduced into the impression table, andthe operating lever 24: is pulled down. The cams 18 compel the movableplate 10 to descend, and the plate applies the inking ribbon against theticket and the checking sheet thus producing upon said ticket and sheetimpressions of all the data on the blocks. In addition the slots of'themovable plate engage the step plates 57, and the said plates are also adistance corresponding to the length of the slot. lVhen the movableplate is near the cnd of its downward course, the rod 54 meets the arm52 and brings the pawl 51 into engagement with the next tooth of theatchet 50 of the receiving bobbin of the che king sheet 7.

ZVhen the operating lever is once started downward it cannot be raisedagain until it has arrived at the extreme end of travel, since the upperarm of the double pawl (30 is in engagement with the toothed sectors 61,whose teeth are directed to oppose the return of the lever. Whenever thelever arrives at the end of its downward travel, the pawl is reversedpermitting the lever to move upward under the influence of the springs,its speed. however, being limited by the dash pot. During the upwardmovement of the plate 10 the arm 52 acted upon by its spring stop 53returns to its initial position, and the pawl 51 causes the ratchet toturn an amount corresponding to an interline of a checking sheet 11, sothat this latter, presents a blank line for the next impression.

The stepped plates 57 move upward under] the action of the springs 58,and thisupward of the stop plate when using the decimal sys dreds,thousands, and the steps are ten in plates having their upper endprovided with printed and the slots in the grids over the v upper endsof the stepped plates, and a movement imparts the movement to the addingor summmg up apparatus as formerly described. Shortly before the upwardmove,- ment of the plate 10, one of the ratchets 39, 4:0 meets the pawl41 which presents an obstacle to it and causes it to partially rotatethus partially rotating the bobbins 37 upon which the inking ribbonswind. The slots ten] are four in number, corresponding to the fourdecimal places, units, tens, hunnumber on each plate corresponding tothe first ten digits, and the length of eachslot is so related to thevertical distance moved by the plate as to correctly move the numberWheel corresponding to the plate a proper number of divisions toregister the digit represented by the slot. As for instance, if theslotcorrcsponding to units place is of a length such that it will engagethe step corresponding to the digit 5, the units wheel will be rotated 5divisions.

I claim- 1. A machine for printing, checking and automatically summingup the values of tickets, comprising an impression table, provided witha central opening and adaptedto receive the ticket to be printed, meansfor causing a checking sheet to pass over the impression table, amovable plate bearing a printing slide, said plate being arranged infront of the impression table, independent and interchangeable printingslides corresponding tothe different tickets to be issued, each of saidprinting slides being provided with a grid provided with slots ofdifferent lengths, a plurality of vertically movable stepped gradationsfor engagement by the slots, and a registering mechanism comprising aplurality of number Wheels operated by the vertical'movement of theplates.

2. In a machine for printing, checking and automatically summing up thevalues of tickets, a plurality of vertically movable plates, each ofsaid plates having the upper end thereof provided with a plurality ofsteps or gradations corresponding in nurn her to the digits, independentand interchangeable printing slides corresponding to the differenttickets to be issued, each of said printing slides being provided with agrid having slots corresponding, in number to the number of digits inthe price of the ticket and corresponding in length to that width of thestepped plate representing said digit, an impression table for receivingthe ticket adjacent to the vertically movable plates, a movable platefor receiving the intel-changeable printing slides, means for inovingthesaid'plate to bring the printing slides into contact with the ticket tobe registering mechanism comprising a plurality of number wheelsoperated by the vertical movement of the plates. 1 In a machinetorprinting, checking and automatically summing up the values oftickets, a plurality of vertically movable plates provided on one edgenear the bottom with ratchet teeth, each of said plates having the upperend thereof provided with a plurality of steps or gradationscorresponding in number to the digits, independ out and interchangeableprinting slides cor-' responding to the different tickets to be issued,each of said printing slides being provided with a grid having slotscorresponding in number to the number of digits in the price ottheticket and correspond-' the plates, a pawl for engagement with the teethof each plate and means on the plate for disengaging the pawls.

4;. In a machine for printing, checking and automatically summing upthevalues of tickets, a plurality of vertically movable plates provided onone edge near the bottom with ratchet teeth, the distance between saidteeth corresponding to the height of the steps or gradations, each ofsaid plates having the upper end thereof provided with a plurality ofsteps or gradations corresponding'in number to the digits, independentand interchangeable printing slides corresponding to the diii'erenttickets to be issued, each of said printing slides being provided with agrid having slots corresponding in number to the number of digits in theprice of the ticket and corresponding in length to that width of theplate representing said digit, an. impression table for receiving theticket adjacent to the vertically movable plates, a movable plate forreceiving the interchangeable printing slides,

means for moving the; plate to bring the printing slides into contactwith the tlcket to be printed and the slots in the grrdsover the upperends of the plates, and a registering mechanism comprising a pluralityof number wheels operated by the vertical movement of the plates.

5. A machine of the class described, comprising an impression table, aplate movable toward and from the impression table, independent andinterchangeable printing slides, each of which is provided with a gridhaving slots of diiterent lengths, the. table being provided with meansfor recelv- -ment of the slots, and a plurality of number Wheelsoperated by the vertical movement ing a printing slide, a plurality ofvertically printing, checking, and automatically sunlrnovable plateshaving their upper ends prolning up the values of tickets of different72- kinds and series signed by me this 29th clay of April 1907.

GEORGES ISIDORE FERDINAND SOULAGE. of the plates; /Vitnesses:

.The foregoing specification of my im- HANSON C. COKE, provements inmachines or apparatus for l MAURICE H. PIGNET.

'ViL'lCd with stepped gradations for engage-

